Spamalot Delights and Captivates Audiences at The Kennedy Center – Review

The Broadway Center Stage production of Spamalot has just finished its limited engagement at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Featuring a star-studded cast and a wonderful creative team, the Tony-Award-winning musical was able to accomplish an incredible feat in a short amount of time.

I know this may be blasphemous, but it has been many years since I last saw Monty Python and the Holy Grail so essentially, I went into this production fairly blind as to what I was about to see. What followed was an uproarious and hilariously delightful production that had the entire audience experiencing a roller coaster of emotions.

Monty Python’s Spamalot Has Successful Limited Engagement

This was the kind of pleasant surprise where your cheeks begin to hurt from smiling. You find yourself counting the minutes because you do not want the performance to end. The only downside to The Kennedy Center’s limited run of Spamalot was just that; it had to come to an end. Running from May 12th to May 21st, 2023, the shortage of performance dates was almost a welcome sacrifice as it allowed us to enjoy a cast that was, simply put, incredibly stacked.

Featuring immensely talented names that included Alex Brightman, Rob McClure, Leslie Kritzer, James Monroe Igleheart, and Michael Urie, to name a few, this cast and crew was a dream. Having seen most of the cast in other productions, it was lovely to see them in a production that was “out of the box”. Spamalot allowed cast members to tackle different roles throughout the show, each increasingly hilarious and always captivating.

Spamalot was not just your ordinary, run-of-the-mill parody. Right out of the gate, you can tell this is going to be quite the experience. All hesitations are left behind and every opportunity to wow the audience is taken.

Show-Stopping Talented Cast

As an audience member and a theatre nerd, it was an absolute delight to have the privilege of experiencing this cast shine on stage in such a way. There were certainly no small roles in this production and every member of the Spamalot cast was able to have their own show-stopping moment. And every one of them delivered.

James Monroe Igleheart excites and wows as your King Arthur. With a winningly enjoyable performance, he takes the audience through this increasingly hilarious and erratic quest through Spamalot and it’s a journey one is better off for having experienced it.

Leslie Kritzer‘s hand-raising-take-you-to-church vocals were an absolute highlight. Alex Brightman brings his ever-evolving and side-splitting brand of comedy that aims to always take you, and the cast, by surprise. Michael Urie is a pleasure to watch on stage. He brings all of the nuances and charm of his personality that fans have come to look forward to enjoying after years of delighting audiences on both TV and the stage. He had us smiling throughout and those around us were eager to see what he would do next.

No stranger to awe-inspiring physical comedy after starring in both Beetlejuice and the gone-too-soon Mrs. Doubtfire, Rob McClure gives it his all the moment he steps on stage. The result was an intensely impressive and captivating performance. His wacky characters were a perfect blend of all of McClure’s strengths that audiences have come to know and love. We especially enjoyed getting to experience him in a role that really allowed him the chance to excel and shine vocally.

Nik Walker is a perfect Sir Galahad. Fun, silly, charming, and always smoldering, this character reminded us of our dearly departed Galavant. We loved watching Jimmy Smagula arrive onstage to bounce his goofy characters off of the others while always delivering an entertaining and enjoyable performance.

A New Favorite Takes The Stage

Perhaps a controversial take, this production of Spamalot has begun to dethrone some very heavy-hitters in my personal mental list of favorite ranked Broadway productions.

Now we find ourselves desperate for the inevitable next question: Can Spamalot transfer to Broadway? And can this incredible cast come along for the ride?

The Broadway theatre community has had many losses lately and Spamalot seems like just the ticket we all need. If and when the crossing of all of our fingers and toes pays off and we are able to experience such a wonderful performance for a second time, we will be eternally grateful.

 

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